Friday, October 29, 2010

Crawling and shimmying and scooting and sitting and standing and squatting. They are constantly moving. Which means I'm constantly moving. Which means I'm going to go eat some pizza this weekend. I've earned it.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Today you are 10 months old. This month was simultaneously one of the most fun and one of the most challenging so far.

We had an ear infection, a visit to the ER, nighttime wakings, teething pains, slips, falls and about a hundred bonks on the head. And don't even get me started on all of the giggling we did this month.

Quick side story: the other day, Grace sneezed and I said "Goodness!" And they both looked at each other and burst out laughing. I kept saying it again and again because hearing their giggles makes my heart soar. But then Claire was laughing so hard she threw up. That made my heart soar a little less.

It's been a good month.

A delightfully painful month.

A month full of firsts.

A month of cries and laughs and bonks and screams and hugs and kisses.

Monday, October 25, 2010

I'm not going to beat around the bush. Or draw out the ending. Or make you guess what crazy thing happened to us this weekend.

I'll just tell you.

Grace went to the ER. And it was completely my fault.

She's fine now, but Saturday was a bit of a rough day for all of us.

You see, Grace still takes naps in the bassinet part of the pack 'n' play … well, at least she did until Saturday.

I know, believe me, I know. What was I thinking letting a 9-month-old sleep in a bassinet? Well, this particular 9-month-old had yet to pull herself up. She' had been perfectly content to just sleep in there with absolutely no curiosity about what was on the outside of the bassinet.

But Saturday I guess her curiosity got the best of her because as I was walking down the hall to check on her, I heard a very loud "thud."

The kind of thud that might make you think your baby just fell out of her bed. But surely my little Gracie who has yet to pull herself up couldn't have fallen!?

I dropped what I was holding and ran into the room, and there she was laying on her back right outside of her bed.

I screamed. I could tell she wasn't breathing. And she looked scared out of her mind. That made two of us.

I screamed again. Scott came running, and the next five minutes was a lot of panicking.

But after a few seconds that seemed like hours, she started breathing again and was acting fairly normal for a kid who just dove head-first out of her bed.

We took her to the ER just to get her checked out. My imagination was running wild with internal bleeding and punctured lungs. But as it turns out, she was just fine, if not a little shook up.

Scott reassures me that things like this happen to every parent. And I know we all make mistakes from time to time, but I have learned a very important lesson.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Maybe it's from being nearly 15 years old. Maybe it was shoddy construction. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because a certain 6'7" man-child couldn't resist running, jumping and sliding across it. Again and again and again. And again.

And every time, I would say, "Scott, you're going to break the bed." He would scoff and mumble something under his breath about how ridiculous I was being.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

I went to college. Broke up with a boyfriend. Got a new boyfriend. Broke up with him. Went to class. Hung out with friends. Got a new boyfriend. Graduated from college. Worked in a job that wasn't a good fit for me. Married my boyfriend. Moved cities. Found a job I loved. Made friends. Reunited with family. Birthed babies.

So, that pretty much sums it up, I guess!

This weekend was my 10-year high school reunion. I opted out of the official events because of the girls. It's hard to get away. Especially at night. Ya know, with bedtime routines, baby food, bottles and an overly-attached mother. It makes things like going to your high school reunion seem unimportant.

I did want to see a few of my old friends though, so we planned a lunch instead. And all the husbands and wives and kids and even a dog came.

But seeing everyone was so bittersweet.

Sweet because I spent my adolescence with these people. I was silly and giggly and sometimes stupid with these people. Sweet because we were with each other through heartbreaks and triumphs. Sweet because we spent four years growing up together.

Bitter because I'm terrible about keeping in touch. Bitter because our lives have taken us in such different directions that we hardly see each anymore. Bitter because I miss them.

But even though we have drifted apart, the two hours we spent together this weekend were just like old times.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Grace woke up during the middle of the night last night and absolutely refused to go back to sleep for more than an hour. I have no idea what's causing this new trend, but I can only hope it ends soon. So, for all of those parents out there who had to wake up during the middle of the night last night, I give you Claire. Who, by a strange turn of events, is now my good sleeper.

And for all of you out there who couldn't be more proud of your little movers and shakers, I give you Grace. Who wants to stand so badly she sits in front of her crib pulling with all of her might, her little arm muscles shaking with determination as she tries to stand up. I couldn't be more proud of my girls.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Yes, they were born on the same day. In the same year. Only a minute apart.

But they couldn't be more different.

Grace is sensitive. Claire is tough.

Grace is opinionated. Claire is mellow.

Grace is content to sit. Claire is always on the go.

Grace is messy. Claire is not.

They are completely different kiddos who happened to share the womb at the same time.

But, honestly, I wouldn't want it any other way. When we found out we were having twins, the first thing I said was, "We aren't dressing them the same." Ok, maybe that wasn't the first thing. I think that was "OH MY GOD."

But I really do want them to have their own personalities. Be their own people. I know the connection between them is naturally strong. I know my girls will grow up to be best friends (at least I hope so). But I also want them to be confident in who they are as individuals.

There's no denying they are special because they are twins. But they are also special because they are Claire and Grace.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

In an old SNL monologue, Ray Romano once joked that he had only written one new joke since his kids were born. He then pulled out his key chain, shook it and said "KEYS!"

I remember chuckling at the time, but these last nine months have showed me how appropriate the joke really was.

I'm not "funny" like Ray Romano. No, in my life the things that evolve are my annoying habits - specifically the one where I randomly sing (aloud, at a high volume) whatever song happens to be drifting through my brain at the moment.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Every time Claire sees her reflection in a mirror or in this case, the camera on the computer, she makes this sound. Lesser parents (or more normal parents) might find this sound annoying. I think it's hilariously adorable.

Grace has been rolling here and there, and she's been crawling in reverse. But both of these strategies never got her closer to the things she wanted. Usually, my phone. In fact, most of the time, she ended up stuck under something.

Until earlier this week.

Watch out Claire ... with a little more practice, I bet she'll be on your heels in no time.

P.S. I can't be held responsible for the mismatched clothes. She dresses herself.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Let me take you back a few days. It was Saturday night, and the day was wrapping up pretty well. We had taken the girls to our small town fair (complete with their first parade!) and they had behaved swimmingly. They were in bed for the night and we were headed there, too.

The house was quiet, we were starting to doze, when Grace let out a wail. Now, this is not terribly unusual. One or both of them usually wake sometime during the night and after a few pats on the back, they slip back to sleep.

Saturday night was different. So, so different.

Grace woke at 11 p.m. and didn't go back to sleep until 2 a.m. We patted. We rocked. We swayed. We even took her for a drive. Nothing worked. Every time we went to lay her down, she would let out a blood curdling scream. So, we stayed up with her, taking turns, not having a clue what to do with a baby who won't sleep.

She finally gave in three hours after she woke, and we all hit the sack.

This happened again the next night. And the next. Until two nights ago when I decided that I just couldn't take another night of the torture.

I went through all of the possible problems ... teething, separation anxiety, too much stimulation, Ihatemyparentsitis. I talked to my mom. People from work. People from Scott's office. But it wasn't getting any better and we were no closer to a solution.

So, we went to the doctor yesterday, and she confirmed what we suspected. An ear infection. She said give it a day or two before we see improvement.

But last night after only two doses of the antibotic and some tylenol, we put her to sleep at 8 p.m. and she didn't wake up until 6:30 this morning.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Claire loves looking in the mirror. She will see herself and just start giggling. But my favorite is when she presses her face up against it and tries to find me. And then when she does, she smiles real big, and then turns around to make sure I'm still behind her. It's cute.

See that red mark above Grace's right eye? She bonked her head just seconds before I took this photo. That part is not too unusual. We have lots of bonks these days. The unusual part is that she's not screaming. What a big girl she's becoming!!

Our Family

On Dec. 26, 2009, our lives were forever changed with the birth of our twin daughters -- Grace and Claire. Five years later, we rocked our world again with the birth of our son, Henry. Each day brings new adventures: we relish the good ones, survive the bad ones and hope that we're teaching our kiddos something along the way.